International disputes: differences with Israel over the location of the 1949 Armistice Line that separates the two countries; water-sharing issues with IsraelClimate: mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)Terrain:

* mostly desert plateau in east * highland area in west * Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River

Independence: 25 May 1946 from League of Nations mandate under British administrationConstitution: 8 January 1952Legal system: based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdictionNational holiday: Independence Day, 25 May (1946)Political parties and leaders: approximately 24 parties have been formed since the National Charter, but the number fluctuates; after the 1989 parliamentary elections, King Hussein promised to allow the formation of political parties; a national charter that sets forth the ground rules for democracy in Jordan - including the creation of political parties - was approved in principle by the special National Conference on 9 June 1991.Suffrage: 20 years of age; universalElections: House of Representatives: last held November 1993Executive branch:

* monarch * prime minister * deputy prime minister * Cabinet

Legislative branch: Bicameral National Assembly (Majlis al-'Umma) consists of an upper house or House of Notables (Majlis al-A'ayan) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Majlis al-Nuwaab).Judicial branch: Court of CassationChief of State: King HUSSEIN Ibn Talal Al Hashemi (since 11 August 1952)Head of Government: Flag: Three equal horizontal bands of black (top), white, and green with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a small white seven-pointed star; the seven points on the star represent the seven fundamental laws of the Koran

ECONOMY :

Overview: Jordan benefited from increased Arab aid during the oil boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when its annual GNP growth averaged more than 10%. In the remainder of the 1980s, however, reductions in both Arab aid and worker remittances slowed economic growth to an average of roughly 2% per year. Imports - mainly oil, capital goods, consumer durables, and food - have been outstripping exports, with the difference covered by aid, remittances, and borrowing. In mid-1989, the Jordanian Government began debt-rescheduling negotiations and agreed to implement an IMF program designed to gradually reduce the budget deficit and implement badly needed structural reforms. The Persian Gulf crisis that began in August 1990, however, aggravated Jordan's already serious economic problems, forcing the government to shelve the IMF program, stop most debt payments, and suspend rescheduling negotiations. Aid from Gulf Arab states and worker remittances have plunged, and refugees have flooded the country, straining government resources. Economic recovery is unlikely without substantial foreign aid, debt relief, and economic reform.National product: GDP - exchange rate conversion - $3.6 billion (1991 est.)National product real growth rate: 3% (1991 est.)National product per capita: $1,100 (1991 est.)Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (1991 est.)Unemployment rate: 40% (1991 est.)Budget: